


about things lost and found

by taemintylips



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Childhood Friends, Friendship, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Secret Crush, Trains, Trespassing, also what is this really, kids don't ignore warning signs, self indulgent af
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-27 09:43:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15682878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taemintylips/pseuds/taemintylips
Summary: For Minhyuk, nothing is easy to find, especially when it comes to Kihyun.





	about things lost and found

Minhyuk trailed quietly behind Kihyun, keeping a small distance between them. Their shadows dragged across gravel and coarse grass between train tracks, seemingly tugging on each other.

 

Their impromptu walk stemmed from Kihyun seeing silhouettes of hikers walking upon the same tracks the day before. It must be safe, he assured Minhyuk. If there are people that means the tracks aren't used anymore.

Any skeptical thoughts Minhyuk had were stoppered when a light smile filled Kihyun’s face, sweet and mellow.

 

The trains that crossed the northwestern area of the village carried only cargo; passengers were scarce and eventually thinned into nothing.

 

Kihyun thought it a shame.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to see this corner from a different perspective than usual,” he asked Minhyuk, voice impossibly soft, eyes fixated on the place where the train tracks were folded into emerald hills.

Minhyuk had never been the keenest of observers, always a little blunt when it came to his surroundings, so he couldn’t find it in him to answer Kihyun.

He did, however, see a longing swimming in those dark brown irises. It was a longing that scared him, a screaming want: that once Kihyun found an exit, Minhyuk would become the lonely owner of all that once belonged to them both.

  
  


It was a lone track headed east, always running away from the setting sun. On their left was a grey slate of sand, with a mossy, rocky slope separating it from the tracks. Splintered wood and broken shells that washed up along with the dreary tide littered the narrow beach, making it a hazard for barefooted trespassers.

Shrubbery and a barbed wire fence rose from their right, in sync with the flow of the landscape, creating a hostile boundary. Minhyuk’s gaze followed the rise of the hill, and then watched as Kihyun marched forward, meek sunlight dusting the tips of his ears.

 

He wore the same denim jacket Minhyuk was wearing, faded and a little threadbare at the elbows, sleeves rolled up. Minhyuk tugged at his collar absentmindedly, carefully fitting his scuffed boots into the slots between the rusty tracks. He could feel the jagged edges of the rocks digging into his soles, the rust rubbing off onto worn leather. Minhyuk reached down and choose a relatively smooth, shiny pebble. He was a bit of a magpie, had a thing for collecting small pieces of earthen souvenirs that triggered Kihyun’s endless nagging. Minhyuk let out a fond chuckle at the thought of Kihyun upending his pockets only to find yet another trophy from their walk.

 

“How far do you think this goes?” Kihyun called from where he was a few meters ahead of Minhyuk. “Any chance it goes into the mountains?”

Minhyuk shrugged. “Even if it does, we probably can’t make it that far before the sun sets.” He squinted, trying to see past the occasional tree blocking his limited view of the tracks.

“That’s too bad.” Kihyun stepped onto the tracks, arms held out to balance himself. Minhyuk laughed at his awkward wobbling.

Kihyun turned around at the sound and Minhyuk’s heart leaped at the sight of Kihyun’s eyes crinkled into crescents, face lit up with a smile. He strode forward and placed his hands on Kihyun’s shoulders, steadying him.

The old denim beneath his fingers hid any signs of his clammy palms or his racing pulse. 

 

“Don’t fall and crack your head open, idiot.”

Kihyun scoffed. “Says your clumsy ass.”

“Might I remind you of that time when—“

“Oh shut up, we were only like, five or something,” Kihyun protested halfheartedly. He stepped off the tracks to turn around to give Minhyuk a dead stare. Minhyuk slipped his hands back into his pockets, fingers toying with his smooth pebble.

“Old but gold. You should’ve let me draw on your cast.”

“You left out this little detail as to why I didn’t let you do that, asshole.”

“It wasn’t my fault the kite decided to fly itself into the trees!”

“Ah, but see, it was  _ my  _ kite. Naturally, I felt the need to save it.”

Minhyuk couldn’t help but laugh. “Legacy of a five-year old Kihyunnie.”

“You’re the one to blame with your lame kite-flying skills!”

“For the record, I did try to catch you.”

“Look where that got us. A broken leg and a sprained wrist. No wonder I didn’t want to talk to you.”

“Talk about holding grudges, man. It’s been...how many years already?”

“I kept the kite to remind myself not to let you touch anything.”

Minhyuk grinned. “That’s why I don’t borrow stuff from you anymore.”

“Thief,” Kihyun snorted. “That’s my shirt you’re wearing right now.”

Minhyuk looked down. So he was.

“No wonder it felt smaller than usual.”

 

Kihyun threw a handful of dry leaves into his face. Minhyuk spluttered.

  
  


The afternoon crept by, spilling an orange glow through the clouds and staining the tips of Minhyuk’s worn boots.

“Minhyuk.”

Minhyuk snapped out of his reverie. “Yeah?”

“Look,” Kihyun said in a faint voice. “The shells.”

Minhyuk followed Kihyun’s finger and squinted. Where they began their walk, there were only rough rocks and coarse grass; as they neared the beach, shattered seashells appeared among the tracks.

 

Shattered seashells. Crushed and broken. Signs of--

 

Minhyuk felt a shiver run down his back. He glanced around and found no end to the wire fence that enclosed them.

“Let’s keep going. Maybe there’s an exit or another path ahead,” Minhyuk suggested. He felt like someone dumped a bucket of ice down his jacket, his heart hammering from the cold that was spreading down to his toes.

Kihyun nodded and continued with urgency laced in every step he put forward. Minhyuk followed closely behind, their shadows now molded into one misshapen mass.

 

Another mile forward and there was still no exit to be found. Only a lopsided sign outside the fence that Minhyuk wished had appeared sooner.

 

“ _ Tracks still in use, no entry allowed _ ?” Minhyuk said hoarsely. He turned to Kihyun who was a vivid reflection of his panic.

  
  


And then they heard it. A train whistle in the distance.

 

There was no way out. Minhyuk trembled, staring at the sign in shock.

“ _ Shit shit shit _ we shouldn’t have- you shouldn’t have listened to me—” Kihyun’s hands were shaking so, so bad.

 

Another whistle. Closer.

 

Minhyuk spun around. There was a dent in the fence, could they both fit if they tried? No, it was far too small, their heads would be smashed open by sheer impact.

 

He saw no one in sight. Was there really nothing else to do?

 

Kihyun tried to climb over the fence but returned with bloody fingers.

 

They both turned to the left. There had to be a way down to the beach, where was it?

 

The ground started to tremble.

 

Minhyuk shouted for Kihyun to cross the tracks. In a few seconds, he secured a smoother gap between the rocks and gestured at Kihyun to follow him. Kihyun clambered off the tracks and Minhyuk reached for him blindly. He could hear both their heavy breathing.

 

The moment he set his weight onto the slope, he lost his footing because of the moss. Minhyuk lost his grip on Kihyun and they tumbled down the slope with an unexpected speed.

Minhyuk felt his elbow slip on a sharp edge. He tasted blood on his tongue.

 

They crashed into the ground in a messy heap. The wind whispered in their ears.

  
  


Kihyun got up first and silently pulled Minhyuk up. He winced as he grasped Kihyun’s hand, seeing a gash in his jacket sleeve. Kihyun looked just as shaken as he was, with scraped palms and bloodied knees. Minhyuk brushed him off first, regardless of the cut on his arm. He held out his hands in a silent inquiry to check Kihyun’s injuries.

 

“You okay?” His voice was all raspy. Kihyun nodded and put his hands in Minhyuk’s larger ones. He linked their fingers together.

“We’re never doing that again,” he joked weakly. Minhyuk tightened his grasp.

He laughed. “Hell, no.”

 

They picked themselves up slowly, brushing pieces of moss off their backs, gingerly testing their limbs for severe cuts. Minhyuk sighed inwardly, mourning for the loss of his favorite jacket. Kihyun took his hand again and they slowly made their way onto the beach, tracing the road back to where it all began.

  
  
  


One minute later, a train carrying a bellyful of cargo roared past, into the molten gold of the setting sun.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> for the record, kihyuk is my bae and this is unbeta'd  
> also sorry what is this really? i have no idea  
> (all comments are appreciated so so much!!)  
> hmu | [twitter](https://twitter.com/taemintylips)


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